Rita Lakin
Director
The Rookies (1972)
Season 1
The Rookies is an American crime drama series that aired on ABC from 1972 until 1976. It follows the exploits of three rookie police officers working in an unidentified city for the fictitious Southern California Police Department.
Released Sept. 11, 1972
Episode 59 min
None+
Keywords: imdb.rookie-police-officer, imdb.rookie-male-police-officer, imdb.married-to-a-police-officer, imdb.police-officer, imdb.police, imdb.nurse, imdb.husband-wife-relationship, imdb.santa-claus
Watch Providers: The Roku Channel
Network: ABC
Country: United States
Languages:
English
S1E1 - Concrete Valley, Neon Sky
In the introductory episode of the series, the presence of several street gangs contributes to a tension-filled atmosphere. The Rookies are assigned with the challenge of maintaining order amongst the rivaling street gangs, with Willie Gillis arising as the mediator between the gangs.
Sept. 11, 1972, midnight
S1E2 - Dead, Like a Lost Dream
The division is under investigation for misconduct, following several citizen complaints. When a complaint against African-American Officer Webster contains no racial references despite its strong wording, Webster suspects an impostor, and evidence begins to suggest a police academy washout in uniform.
Sept. 18, 1972, midnight
S1E3 - The Informant
Officer's Webster and Gillis try to help a young man break away from two thugs who are using him as their wheel-man for robberies they are committing. But when the thugs take his girlfriend hostage it complicates their efforts.
Sept. 25, 1972, midnight
S1E4 - The Commitment
Gillis is severly injured during an armed robbery. The doctors inform him that further surgery could leave him paralyzed leaving the police officer not knowing what to do.
Oct. 2, 1972, midnight
S1E5 - Covenant with Death
Against advice of their lieutenant, Webster and Gillis are charmed by Toby Jones (Louis Gossett Jr.) who leads an evangelical church fighting drug use. When Gillis spots Jones fleeing a heroin house bust he uncovers Jones' criminal history.
Oct. 9, 1972, midnight
S1E6 - Time is the Fire
A young woman, Andrea Sloan, is kidnapped and held for ransom. Complications ensue.
Oct. 16, 1972, midnight
S1E7 - The Bear That Didn't Get Up
Willie struggles to cope with the death of a young man he shot during a break-in who appeared to be unarmed. That is until an unidentified caller gives reason to believe another person might be responsible for his death.
Oct. 23, 1972, midnight
S1E8 - Dirge for Sunday
Assigned with the task of protecting a valuable witness, Danko and the Officers must exercise caution regarding visitors to the prison. When a professional killer disguises himself as a professor seeking to interview Sol (the witness), Danko denies him the opportunity. Nevertheless, Danko does agree to help the 'professor' by accompanying him to an aircraft hanger where he claims he is meeting a friend.
Oct. 30, 1972, midnight
S1E9 - The Good Die Young
After three woman are murdered, the Police Squad takes action. In order to solve the mysterious murders and prevent future ones, the Squad welcomes two women officers to the force, Dawson and Conway. A plan is created which places Dawson and Conway in an apartment complex together, with Webster and Gillis across the hall.
Nov. 13, 1972, midnight
S1E10 - To Taste of Terror
In an effort to prove he's no 'old man', Officer Danko chases down a fleeing criminal. While he succeeds in apprehending the thief, his partners Webster and Gillis fail to catch the criminal's brother, who is also running from the law. Danko testifies in court against the criminal he caught, thereby infuriating the brother who is unassumingly observing in the courtroom.
Nov. 20, 1972, midnight
S1E11 - A Deadly Velocity
The rookies are given the task of protecting a controversial Army General who has recently returned to the country after serving in Vietnam. The rookies must deal with mob control, as well as actively track down a sniper who hits the General. The rookies most valuable clue is an old army rifle, used in the General's shooting, whose owner the rookies must uncover.
Nov. 27, 1972, midnight
S1E12 - A Bloody Shade of Blue
Investigating a shooting, the Rookies learn the victim Miller wore a police uniform as a costume. In the next attack, Webster loses his sight temporarily; despite this disability, he helps break the case.
Dec. 11, 1972, midnight
S1E13 - A Very Special Piece of Ground
Danko's veteran partner (Earl Holliman) loses his family ranch and unborn son in a single day. Danko doesn't want to add to his woes by reporting on his growing rage on and off the job.
Dec. 18, 1972, midnight
S1E14 - Rabbits on the Runway
A shady man claims to be the father of a runaway teen who's recently crossed the path of Gills. The rookies set out to find her for him unaware he has lied to them from the start.
Dec. 25, 1972, midnight
S1E15 - Tarnished Idol
Gills arrests a washed up fighter (Lou Antonio) who's still connected enough to get bailed out in hours. The bitter drunk decides to fire bomb Gills for revenge.
Jan. 8, 1973, midnight
S1E16 - Crossfire
Webster teams with a jaded and cynical veteran African-American police officer, RC Taylor. Mark Culpepper claims to have seen a crime but Taylor doesn't believe him. At a camp for troubled youth, Mark is targeted by the real perpetrators.
Jan. 15, 1973, midnight
S1E17 - Snow Job
Country, a small time hood with a cocaine addiction, learns that police HQ is storing a large amount of drugs. He becomes involved to steal the cache before it's destroyed. Webster is taken hostage trying to help Country beat his problem.
Jan. 29, 1973, midnight
S1E18 - Point of Impact
Terry investigates an old friend's apparently purposeless attack on a cop.
Feb. 5, 1973, midnight
S1E19 - Three Hours to Kill
A daring plan is crafted by a convict's wife to release a prisoner from incarceration: an innocent and helpless police officer, who is undergoing surgery, is taken hostage. The rest of the medical staff in the operating room is also put at risk, including Mike Danko's wife, Jill.
Feb. 12, 1973, midnight
S1E20 - The Wheel of Fortune (a.k.a.) The Wheel of Death
Widower father Frank Essex targets a local criminal organization to pay for his son's hospital stay. On the run from both sides of the law, he doesn't know that he's the only donor who can save the boy's life.
Feb. 19, 1973, midnight
S1E21 - Life Robbery (a.k.a.) Tribute to a Veteran
The rookies try to disengage a robbery network by leaving the undesirable city slums and working in the suburbs. They discover that the main suspect is a dear, old friend of Lieutenant Ryker's. The man is also a special security guard of the community.
Feb. 26, 1973, midnight
S1E22 - A Farewell Tree from Marly
The rookies are presented with a ""difficult"" court case. While the case is essentially an open and shut, obvious manslaughter conviction, trouble arises: the most important element in the conviction, the only witness, is discovered to suffer from mental retardation.
March 5, 1973, midnight
S1E23 - Easy Money
The rookies may be confronted with a problem worse than the nurse who holds a grudge against all police officers: they discover that her younger brother is associating with thugs who are the organizers of a current neighborhood protection scandal.
March 19, 1973, midnight
Network: ABC
Episode Runtime: 59 min.
Season Runtime: 5566 min.
Released: Sept. 11, 1972
Last Air Date: March 30, 1976, midnight
Status: Ended
Certification: NR
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